The Pang of Jealousy
by MercyFrost
Summary: Oliver and Chloe are having a heart to heart and Tess overhears. It hits her hard. But does she know everything? Please reveiw!
1. Hurt

The pang of jealousy  
"I love you, Oliver," Chloe said with so much love in her voice it sounded almost sappy. "I know," Oliver replied with a lot of emotion as well, but what emotion Tess couldn't tell. but it didn't matter it still hurt Tess incredibly. Possibly because those words that, she has wanted to hear for so long, were to her best friend.

And, Tess doesn't understand why it hit her so hard this time, but it did. She's heard this a million times, but, maybe that million and first time is the killer. And Maybe that's why she turned around and walked out with tears in her eyes.

Neither of the two noticed this, so no one went after her, not that she would've expected anyone to. Not that there was anything either of them could've said.

Lois is walking up the stairs to watchtower when Tess runs past her. But Tess doesn't care what smart aleck remark Lois was planning to say. "Wait, what's wrong?," Lois yells, which would've surprised Tess if she wasn't so wrapped up in her own emotions. "It's nothing,just business," Tess yells back hardly able to keep her voice from breaking.

All Tess wants is to be loved, to be told that everything was going to be ok. But Tess acknowledges that that will never happen, because the only person that had ever cared about her has moved on, and she has no hope for finding someone else. But, maybe she would have more hope if she had heard the end of Oliver's sentence "but...," he continued.


	2. Replacement

The next day Tess walks into watchtower hoping that the same sight wouldn't greet her, and both fortunately and unfortunately it doesn't. Instead, an exhausted, tear-stained Chloe does. She's on the couch typing away on a laptop, which is odd considering she's sitting in the middle of a room full of supercomputers that she could do basically anything with. While that laptop was very limited. Tess walks over and sits down next to her.

"Hi," she says, a little sympathetically. Even though she doesn't know what happened. But she has to assume it was bad. "Hi," Chloe responds icily. And Tess doesn't understand why the hostility is directed toward her, or why the hostility exists at all, for that matter.

Chloe gets up and stalks off toward one of the larger monitors. It must've been really bad for her to be this mad in general. She reminds to be a friend first, confused acquaintance second. But curiosity gets the best of her. "I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure how to respond," Tess says. Chloe doesn't even look up when she says,"Then don't." Tess raises her eyebrows at this remark.

"What did I do? When I left last night you were fine, and unless 'Hi' offends you, I didn't say anything this morning that could cause you to be angry with me," she questions. Chloe freezes, but Tess knows better then to think that it's because she's speechless. That'd be too lucky. She turns toward Tess with a look of almost hate in her eyes. And she nearly jumps back from the intensity. "It's all your fault! You've officially succeeded in replacing me in every aspect of my life! Personally, I don't think my life's that great but I hope you enjoy it!," Chloe exclaims. And that really takes Tess back.

Tess is stunned, and just barely manages to get out,"What are you talking about?" Tess honestly has no clue where this anger came from. "Oliver! We broke up last night!" This is her fault how?

Now, that not only shocks Tess, but makes her feel ridiculous for the way she reacted to what had happened the night before. She just manages not to blush. Talk about awkward. "What does that have anything to do with me?" Chloe rolls her eyes. Now Tess knows they're friends, because Chloe has completely lost that composure she has when dealing with enemies, or really anything that isn't friends. Then again, she did just lose her boyfriend. That would cause anyone to act out of character. Goodness knows she did.

"First you replace me as watchtower with Clark. Then you become BFFs with Lois. Now, I lose Oliver! Take a wild guess why he broke up with me. I'll give you two hints, she has red hair and has wanted this to happen for months." So she's heartbroken and crazy, Tess gathers.

She is actually starting to think Chloe has completely lost it. Oliver hasn't cared about her, especially like that, in a _long_ time. But she doesn't care anymore. Chloe's bringing up old feelings and she's not going to stand for it. Besides, it's not her fault Chloe couldn't keep the people close to her. "Think about this. You went away, so Clark needed a watchtower I became it. Again, you left so Lois needed someone to talk to I listened. You push Oliver away, you lose him. That's the way it works. So don't blame it on me. And don't say it's because he still has feelings for me, because he doesn't. He made that obvious," Tess retorts.

And the last statement brought tears to her eyes, so she turned on her heel and walked straight out the doors. Upon reaching them she freezes. "Just because you need a punching bag, it doesn't mean I'm the one to beat up on," she adds without turning around. As soon as Tess leaves Chloe breaks down in tears again, feeling horrible. For which reason, she's not sure, probably all of them.


	3. Apology time?

Chloe had left about an hour before. Tess was in her apartment reading a book. Even though she wasn't really reading. Her mind was moving a mile a minute, and strayed far away from the book. From Oliver to Chloe and back to Oliver.

_Knock, knock_

Tess sighs. "Come in, it's unlocked." The door opens and the center of her thoughts walks in. "You know, Mercy, I would be more careful. What if I was Lex?," he jokes. I look up at him.

"Then I pull out the pistol that I hide under my couch cushions," I quip. But, she wasn't lying. She actually does have a gun under the cushions. "Why don't I doubt that there's actually one under there?" She just stares blankly up at him. "Because there is," he continued. Tess laughs.

He can't help but dwell on sound of her laugh and beauty of the smile on her face. She swings her legs around to sit up straight and pats the space next to her. "I'm sure you're not here to lecture me on my safety precautions. What's up?," she asks. He walks over, rather slowly, and sits down.

Oliver returns a weak smile. "Uh oh, I know that smile.," she jokes, but the smile he had doesn't leave. Tess instantly thinks back to Chloe's story. "Hey, you can talk to me, you know?" This time she looks at him with a replica of the smile Oliver wears. He looks up. "I know. That's why I'm here."

_"This could mean a million things_," Tess thinks. Even though she knows she's lying to herself. She knows exactly what he's talking about. And she has to admit, she wasn't particularly keen on having this conversation.

"I'm assuming that Chloe told you what happened," he starts. Tess nods curtly. "I was wondering... I mean... how is... how would... How is she?" Tess gives a knowing and sympathetic smile. "She'll be ok," she trails off, "Why did you do it? Why? What reasoning was behind it?" Guilt flashes across his face.

He can't help but ask himself why he's here. What did he expect to say to her? How do you tell someone that you broke up with their best friend because you're in love with them? You can't, not with it going well.

He stands up and starts pacing. "Tess, I-I couldn't keep doing it to her. I couldn't keep dragging her along for the ride!" Tess gives him a puzzled look. "But that doesn't explain anything. Why'd you do it?" By this point Tess's started to yell, completely frustrated. "Because I'm in love with someone else," he yells, also exasperated.

Hearing this she calms down and just asks plain and simple,"Who?" She honestly just wants to know. "Who could top Chloe?" All of her walls are down, she wants honesty, and she's going to be completely honest, as well. He could see it.

Whether it was the look on her face, or his plain need to get it out in the open he didn't lie. He didn't skirt the question. He answered straight out,"You." He sad it broken and defeated.

He watched her face as more emotions then he could count went across her face. Then, the walls went back up. She shakes her head. "You don't mean that. Oliver, you're broken up, confused. Just..." Tess takes a deep breath. But, she doesn't continue. She makes it clear that he's supposed to leave. "I'm just going to, to go," he says. She's looking down at her lap with a fixated gaze.

He leaves, and, for more times then Tess would have liked these past couple of days, she cried. She was so unsure of everything. And in that moment that it seemed as though the whole world had finally caught up with her. After all this time of shoving her emotions behind a dam, it broke.

She cried for all the things that went wrong in her life, her dad, Meghan, Oliver the first time, Lex, everyone's mistrust of her, Zod, Chloe, Oliver again. Why is he the constant center of her thoughts? Why does he consume her? What is it about him? Unsure, it doesn't matter, he just does.

She just assumed that he was confused, maybe even lying. But, after all that time trying to convince Chloe differently, maybe she was right. And she hoped she was. She couldn't help but laugh out loud. Chloe'll never let this go.


	4. Out with it

Chloe had left about an hour before. Tess was in her apartment reading a book. Even though she wasn't really reading. Her mind was moving a mile a minute, and strayed far away from the book. From Oliver to Chloe and back to Oliver.

_Knock, knock_

Tess sighs. "Come in, it's unlocked." The door opens and the center of her thoughts walks in. "You know, Mercy, I would be more careful. What if I was Lex?," he jokes. I look up at him.

"Then I pull out the pistol that I hide under my couch cushions," I quip. But, she wasn't lying. She actually does have a gun under the cushions. "Why don't I doubt that there's actually one under there?" She just stares blankly up at him. "Because there is," he continued. Tess laughs.

He can't help but dwell on sound of her laugh and beauty of the smile on her face. She swings her legs around to sit up straight and pats the space next to her. "I'm sure you're not here to lecture me on my safety precautions. What's up?," she asks. He walks over, rather slowly, and sits down.

Oliver returns a weak smile. "Uh oh, I know that smile.," she jokes, but the smile he had doesn't leave. "Hey, you can talk to me, you know?" This time she looks at him with a replica of the smile Oliver wears. He looks up. "I know. That's why I'm here."

_"This could mean a million things_," Tess thinks. Even though she knows she's lying to herself. She knows exactly what he's talking about. And Tess has to admit, she wasn't particularly keen on having this conversation.

"I'm assuming that Chloe told you what happened," he starts. Tess nods curtly. "I was wondering... I mean... how is... how would... How is she?" Tess gives a knowing and sympathetic smile. "She'll be ok," she trails off, "Why did you do it? Why? What reasoning was behind it?" Guilt flashes across his face.

He can't help but ask himself why he's here. What did he expect to say to her? How do you tell someone that you broke up with their best friend because you're in love with them? You can't, not with it going well for you.

He stands up and starts pacing. "Tess, I-I couldn't keep doing it to her. I couldn't keep dragging her along for the ride!" Tess gives him a puzzled look. "But that doesn't explain anything. Why'd you do it?" By this point Tess's started to yell, completely frustrated. "Because I'm in love with someone else," he yells, also exasperated.

Hearing this she clams down and just asks plain and simple,"Who?" She honestly just wants to know. "Who could top Chloe?" All of her walls are down, she wants honesty, and she's going to be completely honest, as well. He could see it.

Whether it was the look on her face, or his plain need to get it out in the open he didn't lie. He didn't skirt the question. He answered straight out,"You." He sad it broken and defeated.

He watched her face as more emotions then he could count went across her face. Then, the walls went back up. She shakes her head. "You don't mean that. Oliver, you're broken up, confused. Just..." Tess takes a deep breath. But, she doesn't continue. She makes it clear that he's supposed to leave. "I'm just going to, to go," he says. She's looking down at her lap with a fixated gaze.

He leaves, and, for more times then Tess would have liked these past couple of days, she cried. She was so unsure of everything. And in that moment that it seemed as though the whole world had finally caught up with her. After all this time of shoving her emotions behind a dam, it broke.

She cried for all the things that went wrong in her life, her dad, Meghan, Oliver the first time, Lex, everyone's mistrust of her, Zod, Chloe, Oliver again. Why is he the constant center of her thoughts? Why does he consume her?

She just assumed that he was confused, maybe even lying. But, after all that time trying to convince Chloe differently, she was right. She hoped she was. She couldn't help but laugh out loud. Chloe'll never let this go.


	5. Happy Ending-ish

Tess walks into watchtower with a scowl on her face that would make anyone cower away, except Chloe. "You look happy, don't you, Elmo?" The petite blond's knock at her red hair and furious scowl did not fog unnoticed by Tess. She turns to face her, "Not the day, Chloe.""Ok, then," she says,"Why are you in such a chipper mood?"

Tess had stayed up all night thinking about the latest development in the ever going drama of their lives. She thinks there should be a tv show of their lives. It would be a hit. And after thinking about it all night, she hadn't come up with anything, nothing. Which made her very crabby.

In every option, someone got hurt, mainly, her. Always, when has it ever been any other way. "The whole situation," she said as plopped onto the couch. Of anyone, Chloe was the last person she expected to be so bubbly. "How are _you_ so cheery?" Chloe turned away from the screen, "Oliver and I were never meant to last. But I was upset because, now, I'm alone. I found the only true love I'm ever going to have, and I lost it." Tess ponders about telling her about the conversation from last night but decides against it. "Oliver," Tess asked more than stated. Which was very out of character and surprised Chloe. But she just shook her head. "Jimmy," she stated. Tess nodded, unsure how else to respond.

"Talk to me," Chloe demands. There goes not telling her. Chloe's too stubborn to let this go. Tess explains everything that happened after Chloe left. All the while, never portraying a hint of emotion. Which annoyed Chloe, because what she was looking for was those feelings and she completely left those out.

"Oh," she said, a little take back,"at least now we know I was right." She looks at Tess and smirks, getting a smile in return from the redhead. But, she still left out all of her opinions. So, Chloe was forced to investigate further.

"Why'd you say that then? Why'd you send him away?," Chloe interrogates. Tess stands up, probably because she couldn't contain her frustration. Not, that she'd ever admit that. "He doesn't love me! Not anymore. He's lonely, upset, not in love, at least...not with me," she blurts out. Chloe's not entirely sure whether or not she regretted saying that. But she can't help but feel good about herself. She got Tess Mercer to admit to something. She's sure it felt good to get it off her chest, but Tess never says things like that. And she liked seeing that side of her, though, she wished it wasn't in this circumstance.

"He's not going to give up. He's found what he's been looking for in a all of those girls, in you. He's not going to let you go, not that easily. And I know for a fact you care about him, too, so why are you pushing him away?," Chloe asks. And after a moment of silence she continues, "I'm not expecting an answer. I just want you to think about it." And with that she walks out. Leaving Tess alone. she sinks down into the couch.

How can he love her? After all she had done, Tess couldn't figure it out. She didn't understand that you can't control who you love. Nor, did she have time to ponder it, because Oliver walked in. "Hey," he interrupted her thoughts. Her head jerks up to look at him.

"Look, I know you're probably really confused. And that's understandable. But, you have to understand something, I'm in love with you, Tess Mercer. And those aren't words that I throw around. I can count on one hand the amount of times I have said that to anyone but you. If any part of you feels the same, please, give me a chance. Whether you're making you decisions based on fear, or not, it doesn't matter. I _won't_ hurt you, I promise you, please," he falters,"believe me."

In that moment so many things ran through her mind. "If I do this I'll get hurt. Chloe'll get hurt. If I don't he'll get hurt. I'll get hurt," she thought. She couldn't see an option where she doesn't get hurt. But it'll hurt less if she just tries it, for her.

What felt like hours, for Oliver, past. But if he rushed her, she'd go back to her original instinct, which didn't work for him. But, if he didn't rush her, she'd think of all the ways this could end badly. Which also didn't work for him. So, he just stays silent, debating what to do.

"I can't think of an answer that will make everyone happy. In every situation, I get hurt," she voices her thoughts. He looks her dead in the eye with so much honesty, he would have made anyone believe him. But he'd had that look so many times that she had to ignore it, or she would crumble.

"I won't hurt you. Things with Chloe were never real. And she knows that. It won't hurt her. Please, believe me, trust me." She nods, bites her lip, and he pulls her close. Both breathe in the other, and dwell in the sense of tranquility they get when they're near each other.

All the while Chloe is watching in the door. Hurting, not that Oliver has found someone else, for that she's happy, but that she had love like that, and she lost it. And she guesses that she'll always feel that inevitable pang of jealousy.

The End.

A/N: Sorry if it wasn't as good as expected. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but it got so many reviews asking if that was it that I had to right more. I kind of wrote myself into a corner, not expecting to have to write myself out, and kind of backed myself out so I could finish it with a happy ending-ish. Thanks for reading! Please reveiw!


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